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Category Archives: Bees

March here in southern Michigan seems to be playing peek-a-boo, giving us brief glimpses of spring one day and throwing us back into the depths of winter the next. Though winter feels never-ending to us beekeepers anxiously awaiting the bustle of bee season, there is much to do before new packages of bees arrive. After all, winter is a season of preparation! It’s time to get your beekeeping tools and your hives ready for the upcoming season.

Once a honeybee hive is populated and fully functioning, beekeeping is relatively simple. You should be checking up on your bees about every other week. The most important reason for these inspections is to make sure your bees are protected against pests and diseases. There are a number of common bee diseases and pests that you should be looking for each time you inspect, like Varroa Mites, Nosema, Chalkbrood, and more. We will go over the signs of these bee killers and the best way to fix the problem before you lose your buzzing buddies.

Before you order your first shipment of honeybees, you will want to be completely prepared. Your bees will need a home, so the first piece of equipment you should be looking for is a beehive. Beehives have different components that go along with them, like hive supers, queen excluders, and frames. Find out what you’ll need to construct your first beehive and some extras to make it the perfect hive for a new beekeeper.

Honeybees follow a schedule based on temperatures and seasons. You can follow their lead and take care of them by following the beekeeping calendar. Find out when your bees will need bee feed, when the queen will start laying eggs, and what will occur as they prepare for winter. This calendar will vary slightly if you live in a severely cold or hot climate or at an elevation much higher or lower than 4,000 feet.

There are more benefits to beekeeping than just free honey. If everyone that thought about being a beekeeper knew all of the amazing perks, we would have no problem saving the honeybees.The first step to being a beekeeper is learning more about bees, right? So, today, I’ll fill you in on all of the joys of beekeeping, like beeswax, luscious gardens, and more. We’ll also cover some things to consider before becoming a beekeeper. After that, it is up to you to make the decision to get your beekeeping kit, suit, and tools in preparation for your new honeybee colony.